Second officer on scene encountered tragic situation

Wednesday

May 14, 2014 at 3:15 AMMay 14, 2014 at 3:12 PM

The second to arrive on scene to a domestic police call that turned deadly for one officer Monday afternoon was Fremont police officer Derek Franek. Franek was uninjured at the scene. As he was en route to 46 Mill Pond Road, Franek heard over his radio the gunshots that ultimately took the life of fallen Brentwood officer Stephen Arkell.

By ANDREA BULFINCHabulfinch@fosters.com

BRENTWOOD — The second to arrive on scene to a domestic police call that turned deadly for one officer Monday afternoon was Fremont police officer Derek Franek.

Franek was uninjured at the scene.

As he was en route to 46 Mill Pond Road, Franek heard over his radio the gunshots that ultimately took the life of fallen Brentwood officer Stephen Arkell.

When Franek arrived to the residence, he found 86-year old Walter Nolan outside, unable to respond to questions he was asking the homeowner.

Franek put handcuffs on Nolan, who had given Arkell permission to enter his home, and went inside.

He saw a wall sprayed with bullet holes and Arkell shot, lying on the floor on his back.

Franek was immediately met with gunfire from Nolan's 47-year old son, Michael Nolan, as he entered through the front of the house. He assessed the situation, according to Senior Assistant Attorney General Jane Young, and escaped through the rear of the home, off the deck and into the tree line where he called for backup, knowing a fellow officer was likely fatally shot.

Michael Nolan is presumed dead, either by the four-alarm blaze that engulfed the home, or the subsequent explosion that erupted through the roof of the structure. What was believed to be his body was recovered from the garage area of the home Monday night.

It is unknown whether Arkell, 48, had an opportunity to draw his weapon before he was killed.

Arkell had responded just a few minutes past 4 p.m. to the report of a loud argument between the father and son, with Franek, a former Brentwood officer, arriving shortly thereafter.

As the Attorney General's office is handling the investigation, all questions are referred to Concord.

Similarly the Fremont Police Department referred all inquiries to the AG's office.

Access to the Brentwood police station was blocked Tuesday, and all calls for service were responded to by other area departments